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Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and party's UP president Shivpal Singh Yadav during the announcement of the expulsion of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years in Lucknow. (Photo | PTI)

LUCKNOW: As the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav stunned the political circle by expelling his son Akhilesh Yadav and party national General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, a vertical split in the ruling party seemed imminent. The move pushed the party into an unprecedented crisis just before the upcoming elections in the state on Friday evening when.

Beyond any doubt, the action against Akhilesh is the result of his defiance against his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav time and again. His audacity to release a parallel list of 235 candidates a day after the official list had been out come as last straw.

Not only this, Akhilesh has not left even a single chance to oppose uncle and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav who enjoys Mulayam’s confidence and unflinching support. In the process, Akhilesh carved out a picture of party rebel for himself who was revolting against mighty Mulayam.

Now, when the SP poster boy till a few hours back, stands expelled from the party for the next six years, has very few options in this fight of prestige. To begin with, Akhilesh may move further on the path of defiance and effect a split from the parent party forming his own outfit. However, still young in terms of political experience, his successMulayam said it in as many words that he was sacking the two to save the party as they were indulging in gross indiscipline. “Ram Gopal is spoiling Akhilesh’s future,” he told media persons, though Ram Gopal retorted that their sacking was unconstitutional.

in the upcoming elections minus the party paraphernalia is questionable. However, he may try to stitch an alliance with parties like Congress.

The second option for the beleaguered Chief Minister could be to tender an unconditional apology to douse the flare-up, however, that seems a remote possibility in the present scenario as he is riding high on the strength of his support base in the party with uncle Ram Gopal standing firmly beside him.

He can also use the opportunity to pose a martyr by tendering his resignation to the Governor and recommending dissolution of the Assembly. As per the constitutional experts, the Governor in such a scenario can ask him to continue as the caretaker chief minister till elections which are just two months away in the state.

At the same time, the Governor may accept his resignation and ask the SP MLAs to elect a new leader who can replace Akhilesh. However, according to Naik, it was SP’s internal matter and there was no constitutional crisis as such for the Akhilesh Government.

“I am monitoring the situation. If need be, I will take a suitable constitutional action,” said Naik while talking to media.

“In case the SP MLAs reach out to the Governor and convince him that Akhilesh has lost their support, then the governor may ask him to prove his majority on the floor of the house,” says Subhash Kashyap, the constitutional expert.

But the most probable option which the expelled Chief Minister may go for could be continuing with his list and fielding of candidates in all seats on different symbols against the party’s official candidates effecting a huge dent to Samajwadis in the state relegating the party to the third spot in the upcoming elections.

However, challenging Mulayam’s action, party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav termed it as against the spirit of party constitution and that it could be challenged in any court of law.

Ram Gopal, who has been expelled second time in three months, said that the party leadership had acted on the basis of wrong facts. “Netaji has given the ticket to those who are not even the party members,” stated Ram Gopal adding that Mulayam was being misguided by a few party insiders who had vested interests.

After the expulsion of the two leaders, Akhilesh supports took to streets in large number demanding the SP chief to do justice with the Chief Minister. They were shouting slogans: “Akhilesh tum Sanghrash Karo , hum tumahre saath hain (Akhilesh you continue fighting, we are with you)” and “Shivpal murdabaad”.

Some of the party spokesman also resigned from party posts in support of Akhilkesh Yadav.

Earlier in the day, toughening his stand, the SP chief had issued show-cause notices to both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal for indulging in indiscipline.

9:25 pm:

Banda (UP): Akhilesh Yadav's supporters stage protest over his expulsion from the party for 6 years, raise slogans against Shivpal Yadav pic.twitter.com/FsRVVc1Dzj

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